Advanced 3D viewer tools

Introduction

This article complements Explore a model in 3D, which covers the basics (points of view, cutting by storey, simple coloring, measurements, saved views). It details the viewer's analysis tools.

Prerequisites

• A model whose processing is finished, opened with View in 3D.
• Some tools read the model's data: while it is being prepared, the viewer says so.

Spatial, system and class tree

The "Scene tree" panel has three tabs:

• "Spatial": objects sorted by storey;
• "Group/System": objects sorted by IFC system (IfcSystem, circuit);
• "By class": objects sorted by IFC class.

A click selects an object, Ctrl+click adds it to the selection, a double-click centers it. Each row has "Focus element" and the "Show / hide element" eye; on the selected object, the eye becomes "Isolate selection (fade out the rest)".

With no IFC system declared, "Group/System" says so: use "By class".

Search, pin and copy properties

The "Properties" panel shows the identity of the clicked element (IFC class, storey, system, tag), then its property groups.

1. Type in "Search a property or value": the search covers names and values, opens the matching groups and highlights what matches.
2. Hover over a property and choose "Pin": it moves up into the "Pinned" section for every object that carries it. Pins are kept in this browser.
3. "Copy value" copies the full value, not rounded.
4. The filter icon, "Select every object in this model with this value", selects at once every object sharing that value.

Navigate in orbit, walk, fly and plan

The camera mode row, under the toolbar, offers "Orbit", "Walk", "Fly" and "Plan".

• Orbit: left click to rotate, right click to pan, wheel to zoom to the cursor. F frames the selection, H hides it, Tab moves to the next object under the click.
• Walk: click in the view to lock the view, then move with W A S D (Z Q S D on AZERTY) or the arrow keys. Shift speeds up, Alt slows down, Escape leaves the mode. The collision button decides whether walls block you.
• Fly: same controls, plus Space to go up and Ctrl to go down.
• Plan: top view; the "Storey" selector cuts and frames the chosen storey.

The bottom bar recalls the controls of the current mode; the ? key opens "Viewer controls". "Navigation preferences" sets, among other things, the wheel zoom speed.

Split view and PDF plan overlay

The "2D | 3D plan" button shows the 2D floor plan next to the 3D, with a synced selection. In the plan, a click selects, a double-click looks there in 3D, the wheel zooms. The "Lower level" and "Upper level" arrows pin a level; "Follow the 3D" returns to the camera's level. The split view needs a window at least 600 px wide.

The "PDF plan" button aligns a PDF plan on a level:

1. Upload the PDF to the documents of the model's Folder.
2. Open "PDF plan", choose the PDF, the page and the opacity.
3. Click "Align with 2 points", then follow the four clicks: a point on the PDF, the same point in the model, then a second pair far from the first.

The alignment is saved for that level. "Show the plan" shows or hides it, "Remove this level's plan" deletes it.

Color rules on properties

The "Coloring" menu also colors by "IDS conformity" and "By property".

With "By property", pick a property in "Property to color": its values color the scene. For a numeric property, "Numeric classes" accepts up to 8 thresholds separated by ";". Each legend color can be changed by hand.

"Rules on several properties" opens the "Rules" editor: up to 8 rules of 5 conditions, combined with AND or OR, with operators such as "contains", "is empty" or "is missing". Each object takes the color of the first rule that applies.

With "IDS conformity", objects are marked "Failing", "Compliant" or "Not applicable", and "Export BCF" downloads the non-conformities.

X-ray, dim and hide the rest

As soon as a selection exists, the toolbar shows the "Selection context" menu. It decides what happens to the rest of the building:

• "Dim the rest": the building stays opaque but greyed; the "Dimming strength" slider sets the effect;
• "X-ray (rest transparent)": you see the selection through the building;
• "Hide the rest": only the selection stays visible.

In the Properties panel, "Focus on the object (I)" frames the object, ghosts the rest and hides insulation; "Exit Focus (Esc)" leaves it.

Selection quantities

The "Selection quantities" panel adds up the declared quantities of the selected objects, by quantity set and by unit.

1. Select the objects (Ctrl+click or filter by value).
2. Click "Compute", which shows the number of objects.
3. Click "Export as CSV" to get the quantites.csv file.

The selection is limited to 20,000 objects per model. If the IFC file was exported without quantities (Qto_), the panel says so.

Section box and section around selection

The "Section box" button opens a panel with a double slider per axis (X, Y and Z, the height): pull the faces in, everything outside is cut away. "Around the selection" fits the box to the selected objects, "Reset" returns it to its initial state, "Fill cut faces" fills the cut faces, "Turn the box off" removes it.

The "Selection context" menu also offers "Section around selection", then "Back to previous section".

Shortest distance and CSV export

"Shortest distance (2 elements)" measures the shortest distance between two elements: click the first, then the second. The viewer computes the two contact points itself, not the clicked points.

For a "Distance", holding Shift on the second click aligns the measurement on an axis.

In the "Measurements" panel, "Export (CSV)" downloads a file with the type, value, unit and points (in meters, in view coordinates). Values are in SI units, without display rounding.

On tablet and mobile

On a small screen, two buttons at the top right of the view open "Model tree" and "Properties" as a bottom panel; tap outside to close it.

• One finger rotates, two fingers pan, pinch zooms.
• A double-tap flies to the object, a long press opens its properties.
• In Walk and Fly, the "Movement joystick" moves you, one finger looks around; in Fly, two buttons move up and down.

What can go wrong

• Walk or Fly will not start: no ground was detected. Wait for loading to finish or frame the building.
• "Quantities not available yet for this version": the revision's computation is not finished.

FAQ

Do pinned properties follow from one object to another?

Yes. A pin targets a group and a property name: it moves up for every object that carries that property. It is kept in the browser you use.

Does the PDF plan overlay change the model?

No. The plan is aligned and shown per level in the viewer; the IFC file is not changed.

Why does the quantities panel stay empty?

The IFC file was probably exported without base quantities (Qto_). Enable them in the authoring tool's export.